Power transmission belts, such as V-ribbed belts, are normally wound around pulleys that are complementary to the inner surface of the belt. Power transmission is effected by making use of the frictional forces generated between the surfaces. To increase such frictional forces, particularly in wet conditions, it is known to embed short fibers in the elastomer of the drive surface in the compression section of the belt. Unfortunately, in the manufacture of rubber belts, a splice is created at the point where the two ends of the belt are joined. In those instances where the flock is embedded into the elastomer, the fibers have been observed to become lodged in the splice and contribute to undesirable cracking and premature failure of the belt. Therefore, there exists a need to obtain the advantages of improving the frictional properties of power transmission belts in the absence of embedding the fibers into the elastomeric drive surface of the belt.
The present invention relates to a power transmission belt that is characterized by a flocked fabric on the drive surface which increases the coefficient of friction.